Liam Neeson orders Lee Jung-jae to become covert operative in Operation Chromite

59 July 25, 2016July 24, 2016

Liam Neeson orders Lee Jung-jae to become covert operative in Operation Chromite

by tineybeanie

Operation Chromite, the Korean War film starring Liam Neeson (Taken), Lee Jung-jae (Assassination), and Lee Beom-soo (Moorim School) will be in theaters this week, on July 27. The action blockbuster is a movie portrayal of the Battle of Incheon, a major turning point in the war.

Operation Chromite was the name of the surprise plan of attack on the North Koreans who were holding Incheon, executed by the ingenious South, marshaled by American General Douglas MacArthur. In the new movie, Lee Jung-jae plays a South Korean Marine who turns into a spy, under the direction of General MacArthur (played by Liam Neeson), and infiltrates a North Korean camp headed by Lee Beom-soo’s character.

Given that this was such a historically important moment, it’s not surprising that the Battle of Incheon has been the main subject of three other films: Incheon Landing Operation (1965), Blue Heart (1987), and Incheon (1981). However, these films were all created and released before the fall of the Berlin Wall when tensions due to the Cold War were fierce. Thus, the renderings of the U.S. forces and the actions of General MacArthur were almost entirely positive, showing a somewhat propagandist bent.

In contrast, Director Lee Jae-han, who is helming this new film on the Battle of Incheon, has stated that he plans to show the human side of the much-idolized hero-general. In addition, he wants to emphasize the importance of the Korean forces, whose unnamed soldiers are often brushed aside for recognition, in favor of the more conspicuous American troops.

How else will this movie be different from its predecessors? None of the three aforementioned films really gained traction amongst the mainstream audience, but the upcoming Operation Chromite has been thoroughly advertised as a Hollywood-style blockbuster. Having been inspired by the Bourne Trilogy and the James Bond franchise, the director is said to take a unique approach to the Battle of Incheon, by largely zooming his focus in on the covert X-Ray mission, an intelligence operation that was crucial in maintaining the element of surprise in the amphibious invasion.

The rest of Operation Chromite‘s cast list also includes Jin Se-yeon (Flower in Prison), Jung Jun-ho (Flower in Prison), Park Chul-min (The Good Wife), and Sean Dulake (Dramaworld). Star-studded cameos include Kim Sun-ah (Masked Prosecutor), Park Sung-woong (Remember—Son’s War), Kim Young-ae (Doctors), and Lee Won-jong (Goodbye Mr. Black). It’s set to premiere on July 27.

Via TenAsia, SBS

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1 yucaesar

July 25, 2016 at 3:41 PM

Oooh, you should have included the interview with Liam Neeson by a Wonder Girls member (can't remember who, I don't follow kpop news :S). It's a short clip but it shows Liam Neeson being playful and kind-hearted in it.

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2 sparks121

July 25, 2016 at 4:04 PM

I am consistently fascinated by jin se yeon's casting. Her acting looks bad as it is in FIP, but the contrast is going to be really glaring with this cast.

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The other Kiara

July 25, 2016 at 4:19 PM

I couldn't last more than 2 eps. How did they go from Kim Hyun-Joo (Sangdo) to this?

Liam Neeson <3. Hope this movie is good. Would love to see more Hollywood actors like Liam in Korean movies and vice-versa.

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s_parks

July 25, 2016 at 5:09 PM

Admitedly, I'm still enjoying the drama- it would've been a legit hit if they had cast someone more capable though. Go soo is wasted in FIP though. At least park jumi is giving JSY a run for her money- it's hilarious how bad her acting is after all her time in the industry.

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Kirk

July 25, 2016 at 4:32 PM

She must be so good in bed

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Luna

July 25, 2016 at 4:52 PM

Didn't anyone teach you that if you had nothing polite to say don't say it at all. If you're going to be critical about someone at least let it be constructive. Yes, she's not the best actress, but she's certainly not the worse. All the things I've seen about her acting in FIP have been that netizens have been amazed at how much better she is in FIP than her previous works.

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Chin

July 25, 2016 at 5:41 PM

What's so impolite about pointing out a viable method to secure a role that a subpar actress typically does not deserve? I find it more rude to put an actress of her calibre in the same movie as the guy who carried his own in Schindler's List and later reinvented himself into an action star in his latter years. Plus greats like Lee Beom Soo and Lee Jung Jae. That's some serious disrespect.

Unless it's a pure damsel role. Then of course it doesn't matter which random actress gets lucky enough to get her name on such a major blockbuster. Though in an ideal world, one who does not suck at her job should get the role (no pun intended).

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Luna

July 25, 2016 at 6:08 PM

What is rude is saying someone is supposedly good in bed to get a role with out any real evidence and there are other viable methods to secure a role. This is how rumors start. You don't see actors getting the same treatment. Just because you don't think she deserves the role doesn't mean other people think the same way and it's not like she even has a big role. She's only in a couple of scenes and yes it's a damsel in distress role.

heradom

July 25, 2016 at 11:36 PM

what is rude is that the OP is casting moral aspersions on jin se yeon simply because she is not a good actress. the statement made by OP was not intended as a neutral observation based on fact, but a salacious and gossipy message intending to drag jin se yeon's name through the mud.

i agree she ain't great at acting, but you must see the disjoint between saying her acting is bad and not deserving of being placed next to certain talented people (a skills criticism), and saying that she must have slept her way through this (a character criticism).

There are many reasons why people in this world manage to succeed even if you think they don't deserve it, like for example, strong networking connections, work ethic, she has a pretty face and the industry is messed up and emphasising on that only, or maybe her acting rates are cheap. People may not even want her roles cause its not interesting enough.

There is absolutely no need to put people down just because you don't like their skills.

darcyM

July 25, 2016 at 11:45 PM

What's "impolite" is the inherent sexism that comes along with a coment like this. As has already been pointed out, male actors rarely recieve these type of comments.

What's "impolite" is that coments like these completely disregard the power imbalance and the exploitation of women that often takes place in situations like these. Many women all around the world and in different professions face similar situations that affect their lives. Making light of situations like this and also the tone of comments that imply that all women deliberately set out to use their sexuality for personal gain are really harmful.

What's also "impolite" is your assertion that slandering a woman's professional reputation is a trivial matter compared with the 'disrespect' of talented people having to work with someone with less talent than them. Really? So it's not disrespectful to spread baseless rumors about someone in a very sexist manner, but it is disrespectful to have a variety of different skill levels working together on a movie? I actually find that mentality quite disrespectful.

I'm not trying to start and argument with you, but please remember that there's a good reason why comments like this recieve backlash. And while it's extremely unlikely that this actress will ever read this blog, it's nice to remember that, regardless of her talent as an actress, she is a real person with complex feelings and circumstances and motivations, and taking this into consideration before posting sexist comments about her on the Internet makes it a nicer place for us all to hang out. ☺

eva

July 26, 2016 at 3:24 AM

Thank you, darcyM and carson, you took the words out of my mouth and put them into neat sentences that actually make sense, because I was so taken aback by the sexist slur that I just gaped at the screen.

"She must be good in bed" WTF?! In Dramabeans? Ok, we're not angels here, but such comments don't come by that often. Usually people are able to put some reason behind why they dislike an actor/actress or other.

Kirk, if you're surprised by the backlash, then I advise you to think for a moment, how much would you enjoy it yourself, if your whole career and efforts are reduced to being "good in bed".

Karuna

July 26, 2016 at 11:50 AM

You think this is not a pure damsel role? Which action movie with three male actors is going to provide anything else for a woman. F**k how many women oriented films have you seen listed on this site? Please check Chungmoro listings.

Liam Neeson has made a whole lot of rubbish movies amongst some good ones. What the hell is "disrespect". Same goes for the other stars. Why are they on a pedestal?

I have never seen this actress in any role. She may well be bad. That's hardly the reason to shame her and pretend that everyone else gets roles because of their fabulosity. For every LN there are ten better actors who don't make it, yeah?

I visit these sites for the recaps but the comments about female actors are a real turn off.

Chin

July 29, 2016 at 8:50 PM

The recurring theme of replies to my comment is that it's disrespectful to women in general to bring up casting couch practices. I never said ALL women in the industry use their sexuality to raise their status. I'm pointing out that such practices DO exist.

Besides, don't you think there might be actresses out there who are extremely good at their job but don't get the roles because #1 they're not pretty #2 they have no connections #3 they do not sleep their way up the ranks. So before you go hyper emotional feminist on me for pointing out a common trend, consider that casting couch practices actually put the vast majority of actresses at a disadvantage.

Men don't get damsel roles - women do. By allowing terrible actresses to get roles, other women who are good can't get roles. It doesn't affect men at all, so comparing this with men is totally irrelevant.

Sour Grapes

July 25, 2016 at 8:04 PM

Rumours about Jin Se Yeon and casting couch/sponsor are not new and are pretty much unavoidable at this point. She is a terrible actress who keeps getting lead roles despite complete lack of talent or popularity. None of her dramas were huge hits. She is also not a CF beauty queen like Suzy or Kim Tae Hee, who bring the dough and ratings despite questionable talent. Give me one reason why Jin Se Yeon keeps getting cast. Someone is clearly backing her up.

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Popcorn wednesday

July 28, 2016 at 5:35 AM

3rd class mentality.. Why not we think positive about the actress. And show respect toward women please..

Chin

July 29, 2016 at 8:36 PM

@Popcorn wednesday

Why should we think positively and show respect for someone who can't do her job? Because she's a woman? Wow I think that's really disrespectful to the hard work of other more competent women. There are probably scores of lesser known actresses who can totally do her job but don't because they don't have the requisite connections.

ggein

July 25, 2016 at 9:55 PM

Wow...just wow...

I knew I shouldn't have scroll down for the comments. I expected better since this is DB but this kind of comments seems the norm around here lately.

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Chiisan

July 25, 2016 at 6:46 PM

I feel like every time we are shocked, puzzled, scared, and mad about Jin Seyeon's landing a project, she followed up with landing an even bigger project. I'm not even sure what acting talents directors and producers see in her, but she can't act to save her soul.

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crazyahjummafan

July 25, 2016 at 7:20 PM

What's wrong with her acting in FIP? I think it's pretty good.I have read about how people say her acting is bad, but in FIP, which is my first time watching her act, I think it's pretty good. Not stellar but above average.

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Pam

July 26, 2016 at 7:57 PM

Agree
She is able to act in FIP
At least , she can act naturally

I consider FIP is good drama
Good story line
Smart people are dealing with smart people
but different motives

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whitewire

July 26, 2016 at 10:18 AM

SERIOUSLY HOW COULD JIN SE-YEON JOIN A STELLAR CAST... I am not fond of Lee Jung-jae too, ever... But Jin Se-yeon, are u serious Chungmuro Land?

See I love the ff: LEE BUM-SOO, JUNG JUN-HO, Park Chul-min, even cameos Kim Suna and Park Sung-woong...

Somebody explain to me her billing in that freakin poster?

I tried to be objective about her...

She's so terrible I can't even --

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Popcorn fever

July 28, 2016 at 3:03 AM

I don't understand why people hate JSY. She deserve a chance to show that she can act. And you whitewire, i don't think she is terrible. Watch the movie first and after that you can critic as much as you want. For me her acting in FIP was improved.

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3 purplesheesh

July 25, 2016 at 4:19 PM

she looks like Park BoYoung!

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Chiisan

July 25, 2016 at 5:50 PM

*Park Boyoung be containing her rage in the most demure way*

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Flightey Gazelle

July 26, 2016 at 12:16 AM

Lol!

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4 SooHa

July 25, 2016 at 6:18 PM

Sarang abujiiii .. apparently he's acting for this movie. Just saw a glimpse in Return of Superman before Sarang leave the show.

The movie seems interesting though ..

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Nessa (Bebe) 🌹

July 25, 2016 at 7:19 PM

Yea!! I noticed him, too!! Is he on the list of cameos? Maybe tineybeanie just missed it?

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5 junny

July 25, 2016 at 6:56 PM

Lee Jung-jae looks so hot in that sepia poster. Lee Beom-soo looked spiffy as well. Mehh on Jin Se-yeon, but the who's who of cameos is impressive.

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6 meowingme

July 25, 2016 at 7:32 PM

That's a bunch of actor with gravitas, wow, will this be internationally released? It's the kind of movie that will be best watched on big screen. Also, in his poster, Liam Neeson kinda reminds me of Captain Haddock...

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7 kimchikay

July 25, 2016 at 8:15 PM

What!? Wait....WHAT!?

Jin Se YAWN is in this!? WHY. HOW. WHAT.

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8 purpleowl

July 25, 2016 at 8:53 PM

I felt bad saying this at first, but with all the JSY comments I'm going to throw my hat in the ring.

Does Sean Dulake get roles because he is bilingual and stunning to look at?

Not that I mind. It's just I've only seen him in Dramaworld and while I loved the mini drama, it wasn't his acting that got me.

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9 gauui

July 25, 2016 at 9:26 PM

*looks at article*
*snickers/groans simultaneously*
*decides to write snide comment about JSY*
*reads comments*
Oh, wow. Ok. Haha.
My input is definitely not needed here. These comments write themselves. Yowza.

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10 samhimi

July 25, 2016 at 10:12 PM

Did I click the right post. Am I in AKP? Hmmm, Soompi? Nah! OMKR? Nope! Wait, it is Dramabeans, okay then.

Lesson learned! Ugly fanwars are bad enough, never read the comments!

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11 michelle

July 25, 2016 at 10:25 PM

i saw lee jungjae and was about to be SUPER EXCITED... and i still am, but i, like many others, am really ???? about JSY...
regardless im still probably gonna check it out, it'd be a shame to miss out on liam neeson, ljj and kim bumsoo in one film

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12 Karuna

July 25, 2016 at 10:51 PM

Meh LJJ seems to be in many of these macho guys doing macho movies things. Rare for any of these kind of movies to require anything more than a set jaw and a way with guns. But because top actor +cash returns we are expected to take it seriously.

Usually this kind of movie requires a female lead who doesn't have to do much and just lends some glamour. But one can always expect female viewers (assuming the comments here are by women) to zone in on the actress' lack of skills in a minuscule part while all the hot "oppas" get a pass.

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13 Victoria

July 26, 2016 at 12:05 AM

I think that JSY is doing a good job in Prison Flower. Too much criticism here and that doesn't produce positive learning outcomes for an actor trying to improve their skills.. The only way a person can perfect their craft is to gain experience by acting, receiving constructive feedback, and taking what they have learned to the next drama or acting role. I have enjoyed watching this drama, and like all of the actors. I think GooSoo has not done many historical dramas and is spreading his wings in this drama a bit. Sometimes the amount of criticism towards Korean actors is too much---way over the top. It is disconcerting and damaging. Look at the big picture.
Victoria

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sorrynotsorry

July 26, 2016 at 8:00 AM

I agree with you. It seems in Korea, getting on the job training is a viable way of improving your craft. My problem is people pick apart the same actresses but rarely have an issue with the actors who are doing the same thing. I love Sung Hoon in Five Children but this is the first drama where I can really see he's come into his own. Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy his other stuff, but even I - a very non-picky viewer - could see he was still on the learning curve. (He's admitted as much) Same for Lee Soo Hyuk who I feel found a comfortable acting style in Lucky Romance.

I don't think JSY is the best thing ever, and I have no idea if she has a sponsor but, if she does, she is certainly not the only one and I think there are male actors on that list to. If the business allows this in Korea, then shame on them but I will watch my dramas and not judge.

Also, if anyone says they couldn't get past the first few episodes of FIP because of JSY's acting, they didn't watch because she's not even in them.

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Chiisan

July 26, 2016 at 10:27 AM

I don't think actors necessarily avoid getting criticisms for their bad actings. Nam Joohyuk gets criticized for his performance in School 2015, Seo Kangjoon was terrible in Sly and Single Again, Ahn Jaehyun is very pretty and very bland, even the great Hyunbin ridiculously overacted in My Name is Kim Samsoon, just to name a few. But very, very few bad actors rise to lead roles as fast and as often as Jin Seyeon.

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sorrynotsorry

July 26, 2016 at 3:38 PM

Most, but certainly not all, criticism I see toward male actors are ones that are models or Idols. However, when it comes to actresses, not only do the models (like Kim Tae Hee) and Idols get it, but a lot of people have issues with HJE, PSH, and as we discuss here JSY. I by no means think they are the best thing ever, just that it gets to be almost rote. I get that people can and should express their opinions, but I still maintain there is a double standard.

PS: I watched SKJ in Sly and Single Again...I remember the drama, and I don't know if he was horrible, but i don't even remember seeing him so he was - indeed - forgettable!

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Chiisan

July 26, 2016 at 8:29 PM

To me, Seo Kangjoon was the weakest link in Sly and Single Again. I dislike Lee Minjung's acting, but Seo Kangjoon's awkward acting ruined the second male lead.

But back to my point: the double standard argument doesn't work here because it's just a coincidence that most tall and dashing actors come from the modeling circle. The actors criticized for acting were criticized for their ACTING and not for CHANGING their job from modeling to acting. In fact, we don't see people criticize fashion models like Lee Jungjae and Jung Woosung for their acting. I'm saying that whether they have a modeling gig or not, if their acting is shit, they get hit equally as those actors who only do dramas and films. Many dislike Park Shinyang for overacting and I'm pretty sure he's not a model ever.

sorrynotsorry

July 27, 2016 at 5:57 AM

I think we are gonna just have to agree to disagree on this one. When I see threads about Park Shin Hye (as well as a few others already mentioned )on multiple sites just ripping her to shreds and really mean, nasty business there is just something going on there. Guys can get some grief but generally I just don't see it get as downright nasty. Not on every k-drama site there is but the few I do check in on, it's almost always the actresses getting hit. We have a movie here about the Korean Conflict and see how this thread went.

14 LEEMIN

July 26, 2016 at 12:41 AM

very true the criticism around this korean actors n actresses r too much

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15 Flightey Gazelles

July 26, 2016 at 1:22 AM

You do have a point. Am ovely fund of war movies though the stories may captivate and inspire me( faint hearted). But I suspect it may also be because of how generally male-centric these stories tend to be. One gets the impression that there weren't intelligent women who made major contributions worth documenting. I think the blame lies with writers and production companies who can't seem to highlight these women more than a passing acknowledgment that feels begrudgingly given. But I'm a bit more positive on Korea as I've seen projects with balanced potrayals of both genders and some headed or backboned by women.

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Flightey Gazelles

July 26, 2016 at 1:26 AM

Yeesh errors *am not overly fond of*. This war @Karuna above.

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Karuna

July 26, 2016 at 10:03 AM

There are a few good movies around which are women centric yes.

But seriously many actors in movies and dramas are not called on to do much except look handsome and sport a six pack and kiss well. That is enough for women to proclaim them awesome and terrific and great actors. No sorry they are not.

Meanwhile if it is an actress...And especially if she acts with an actor you like. So many complaints about her acting. Just look at this thread for a minor part.

Completely and utterly sick of women on K-sites being relentlessly negative about female actors. Its only the drama sites too, film sites are usually run by men and more balanced.

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16 Flightey Gazelles

July 26, 2016 at 1:26 AM

Yeesh errors *am not overly fond of*. This war @Karuna above.

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17 Flightey Gazelles

July 26, 2016 at 1:29 AM

Facepalm! *was*

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18 doublepower

July 26, 2016 at 2:54 AM

someone please tell me
what is an amphibious invasion????

unless there was a literal invasion of toads? I don't know much of the history

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mary

July 26, 2016 at 5:01 AM

It's probably referring to this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphibious_warfare

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19 Nabi

July 26, 2016 at 4:24 AM

Wow...this jin seyeon must be great...shez everywhere!

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20 cypher

July 26, 2016 at 7:42 AM

Jin Se Yeon's acting is definitely improving by heaps and bound in FIP ... seriously people who condemn her right here should watch how she rocks her role in that series before bashing her badly . I admit that she was not that good in the beginning of the series , but then as the story unfold , her acting is getting better and better ... I feel so bad for her looking at how they "thrashed" her .

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The other Kiara

July 28, 2016 at 8:59 AM

Some of us have seen her acting in FIP. Some thinks it's ok and some thinks she still bad.

Surely you can't expect everyone to share your good opinion of her acting. We all judge acting differently.

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21 Abbie

July 26, 2016 at 10:06 AM

I so want to see this! Liam Neeson is one of my favorite actors ever! He'll be so great in this! And Lee Jung-jae and Lee Beom-soo are always great. Just more reasons to watch. When will it be available in America?

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22 Sal

July 26, 2016 at 10:17 PM

It's ridiculous how some people on this site fan girl over how handsome and dashing their oppas are then proceed to bash the leading actresses relentlessly claiming those comments to be "constructive criticism."

The comments saying that she has a "sponsor" or sleeping with people to get her roles is not "criticism", it's called "slander"

Just because you are an anonymous person sitting behind a screen doesn't give you the right to post false and hurtful rumors.

Women should try to be kinder and more understanding to women...yes I do believe this actress needs improvement but the amount of hate she gets is plain ridiculous.

I think her acting improved in The Flower in Prison compared to her Bridal Mask days. At least she doesn't do the unnatural "gasps" which makes her acting much better in my opinion.

Even Lee Byun Hoon PD praised her work ethic. JSY has a cheerful demeanor that everyone likes (except the ridiculous sexist haters on this site, that is)

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The other Kiara

July 28, 2016 at 8:54 AM

Lee Byun Hoon will never say anything negative about her. He hired her.

Women are not the only actors getting criticisms so let's not pretend that the handsome male actors have a free pass here because they too get the same treatment at least from some of us.

Even handsome and great actors like Lee Je-Hoon went through criticisms in Signal (here and more popular Korean sites) but instead of firing back and getting all offended, he took it as constructive and work harder to improve his performance.

The complains about some of these weak actresses who are taking on LEAD roles is not baseless. People do state their reasons if care to read some of it instead of translating it to hate.

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23 kami

July 27, 2016 at 7:32 AM

poor review from :

http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=3021615

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Karuna

July 27, 2016 at 8:57 AM

As expected. Same old machismo films. These are the best for top name actors since for not much acting you get a big paycheck.

I sound bitter but I wish male stars and their movies are subjected to the same stringent standards as women actors here!

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The other Kiara

July 28, 2016 at 8:16 AM

Fortunately, these are not Chungmuro's best actors when it comes to talents.

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24 ševča

September 11, 2016 at 4:46 AM

I like about this movie that, judging from the trailer, Americans are played by Americans and speak English, as they would, and Koreans are played by Koreans and speak Korean, as they would. And none of the nationalities need to be played by nobodies like elsewhere. That´s really unique.

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